I bought a baby betta at petco, and bought Hikari Tropical Micro Food for it. I have it in a heated 5.5 gallon that stays at about 80-81 degrees. How much should I be feeding it of the Micro Pellets, and how often? Thanks for the help, and please reply as quick as possible, I don't want to feed it until I know for sure I'm not going to be overfeeding or under feeding. And in case it helps to know, he (I'm calling it a he until I know for sure) is around 3/4 to 4/5 of an inch including his tail (can't tell exactly, kinda hard to measure a fish) . He already is a bright blue, his growth probably got stunted at the store. He has stress stripes but they are already not as noticeable as when I got him. And I don't want to here about arguments of how bad it is to buy baby betta fish, and how hard they are to keep alive. I figure if he does die, I'd rather have him die in a 5.5 heated then die in that sad cup at the pet store.

I bought a baby betta at petco, and bought Hikari Tropical Micro Food for it. I have it in a heated 5.5 gallon that stays at about 80-81 degrees. How much should I be feeding it of the Micro Pellets, and how often? Thanks for the help, and please reply as quick as possible, I don't want to feed it until I know for sure I'm not going to be overfeeding or under feeding. And in case it helps to know, he (I'm calling it a he until I know for sure) is around 3/4 to 4/5 of an inch including his tail (can't tell exactly, kinda hard to measure a fish) . He already is a bright blue, his growth probably got stunted at the store. He has stress stripes but they are already not as noticeable as when I got him. And I don't want to here about arguments of how bad it is to buy baby betta fish, and how hard they are to keep alive. I figure if he does die, I'd rather have him die in a 5.5 heated then die in that sad cup at the pet store.

Sorry I cant quite answer your question, but frozen foods would be healthier for him... go here for info: http://bettacarecentral.weebly.com/baby-betta-care.html
Try asking in the breeding section, those people have more experience in caring for betta fry and might be able to give you an amount.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kassidy47

Also he keeps squeezing his tail so that it's pointed, but once in a while he will loosen it so it's normal. Is this a result of stress?

It is normal for them to do so; are his fins usually spread out? If he is constantly closing his fins, they are clamped and he is just used to too cold of water. Im sure he is fine and may get better with the warm water.

According to your measurement, your betta is roughly 6 weeks old..
I cant find an exact amount to feed, but typically betta's stomachs are the size of their eye. So base your daily feeding off of that.. If he looks bloated, lessen the amount a little bit.

You can do 2 or 3. 3 is better because it lessens the chance of bloating.
extra info.. the water changes and tank cleaning is very important for the betta's health.

Unfortunately, stores such as petco often times sell "Baby bettas" properly called Betta fry. The reason I say this is unfortunate is that these fry are too young to be sold, most people do not know take care of them properly and baby bettas have a weak immune system making them more prone to illness and disease. Baby bettas have special requirements. Sometimes betta fry can get stressed if placed in a large environment (unlike most adult bettas). Your betta fry should be in a 2-3 gallon tank that is heated to at least 80 degrees. Your betta fry would do best on live foods until it gets older. If you do not have access to live foods,it is reccomended to feed your betta fry Frozen baby brine shrimp or frozen daphnia- you can thaw one block and feed it 2-3 meals a day. Also new life spectrum growth formula is a good food, but may need to be crushed depending on your fry's size. Do 100% water changes every 2-3 days and use a turkey baster to suck out any remaining food or poop every day. It is best to let the water age for a few days to keep stress at a minimum. Do not forget- when doing water changes to float the betta in a cup to get used to the new water temperature. Betta fry are extremely prone to stress and are very fragile.
Photo source: http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/157/7/9/baby_betta_2_by_kelpish-d52kcfi.jpg